2023 has been a big year for Hinkley Point C, Britain's newest nuclear power station.

Several ground-breaking engineering feats have taken place at the site in Somerset, so it's easy to overlook how much work has actually gone into the project since beginning of the year.

One of the biggest projects at Hinkley Point C this year was the construction of the first reactor building, which was recently finalised with the lift of a 245-tonne steel dome onto its roof.

Work has been taking place all year to prepare Unit 1 for 'Dome Lift' which was scheduled for the end of 2023.

Efforts began by making sure the walls of the building were strong enough to bare the weight of the enormous dome.

The reactor itself was then transported successfully to the site, prior to the installation of the reactor support ring into the building.

Hinkley Point C worker Liv, who helped install the support ring, said: "It was a great relief... because we're working to such minute tolerances."

To prepare for dome lift, a 50-tonne equipment hatch door had to be installed into the building by crane.

After this, the main control room had to be lifted into place - workers spent countless hours practicing in a simulator prior to the installation of the real control room.

A separate team prepared pipe work inside the dome itself prior to being lifted onto the reactor building.

Phil, part of the team who got the dome ready to be lifted, said: "Once the dome is on, it unlocks an enormous amount of work.

"It allows us to get to work on critical systems that we otherwise couldn't if the building wasn't watertight."

Eventually, after months of preparation, the dome was successfully lifted onto unit one by the world's largest land-based crane, Big Carl, on December 15.

"It's a massive sense of pride, relief," Phil said.

"Everyone involved - ultra professional - got the job done like it was easy."

Other impressive work undertaken at Hinkley Point C this year includes connecting underwater tunnels, preparing steam generators, and lifting the polar crane into unit one.

The project also created 30,000 new training opportunities, and provided 22,000 jobs across Britain.

Brendan, who does welding for Hinkley Point C from a factory in North Wales, said: "It's great up here - we're growing - there's plenty of people here and it's great for North Wales."

Reports from earlier this week state that China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) has now halted funding to the Somerset power station. 

CGN and EDF, which is owned by the French state, are fully financing the project after they signed a strategic investment agreement in 2016.

Bloomberg has reported that CGN has skipped several payment instalments in recent months in a 'fresh sign of tension between London and Beijing'.

EDF declined to comment in response to the situation.